The internet and media enabled portable computing devices have dramatically altered the processes for generating and consuming media content. Presently, users can consume media content virtually anywhere at any time, as long as they have access to a media capable device with an internet connection. The convenience of being able to view media content via the internet, essentially on demand, has resulted in explosive growth of internet media consumption. Internet media traffic is currently approaching a majority of consumer internet traffic, and the rate of demand is projected to continue increasing.
Hundreds of millions of people around the world have the capability to create and share content, including videos, music, and blogs. A large number of online services exist to host the ever-growing volume of user-generated content. Popular online services can receive tens of hours worth of newly uploaded content every minute. Users uploading videos to an online service may often desire to apply editing effects in order to enhance the video quality and/or overall production value. However, applying visual changes can be difficult and time consuming. Typically, video editing requires special software, and is typically fairly complex. In addition, it can be difficult for a user to visualize or appreciate an impact of visual changes to a video created by applying editing effects.
A technique that has been commonly employed to assist users visualize or appreciate instances of video editing effects includes displaying a version of a video before application of editing effects, and a version of the video after application of editing effects. Additionally, the before and after videos may be shown simultaneously. However, visualizing or appreciating an impact of a video editing effect may still be challenging, because the user is typically required to continually scan the before and after videos in an effort to appreciate differences that are often very subtle.